Poor Babies!

This past weekend, my baby had croup. She was having major coughing fits that had a bark to it. And she was running a high fever all weekend. I kept giving her dose after dose of Tylenol to keep her cool, but as soon as it started to wear off, back up to 102. It even spiked to 104.3 on Saturday night. To top off this weekend of sickness, my furry baby threw up on my parents carpet. 2 sick babies!

If Jeff and I don't get sick from this croup, it'll be a miracle.

Special Days in the Eyes of a Woman

So, Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. This day is one of five days that mean anything to us as mothers and women. Listen up men out there! The 5 days that you need to mark on your calendar/blackberry/iPhone are (in chronological order):

• Valentine's Day (February 14th)
• Mother's Day (2nd Sunday in May)
• Sweetest Day (3rd Saturday in October)
• Christmas/ Kwanzaa/ Hanukkah
• your gal's birthday (whenever)

I know what most of you men are thinking right now. You're thinking, "But she told us not to celebrate/ buy gifts for that holiday." R..I..G..H..T! As women, we're supposed to be humble and modest and not beg for gifts. But, how do you think that those first 3 holidays got started? Women wanted days dedicated just to them. We wanted to be admired, appreciated, and doted on. And how do we make sure that happens? By creating a special day. I don't care how often or how seriously your lady friend has told you that she "doesn't want to celebrate" or "don't buy me anything". If you don't at least get her a card, you're going to be sleeping in the dog house licking your wounds.

As for my mother's day, I wasn't expecting much. My husband is not the type to go-all-out. He's the type that usually forgets or it just doesn't cross his mind, that I would like a little something that shows his love and admiration. I definitely did not marry him for his attention to details. However, I was surprised that he had helped my daughter make me a card. He also cooked a huge dinner for me and my parents. I did the dishes, but sometimes I can't give up enough control to let him take over everything. ;)

Busy, Busy...

I know that it's been awhile since I've posted last. It's been pretty hectic around here. My parents left on vacation last Friday and I had to work for my mom. So... Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday was spent working, house-sitting, and dog-sitting. I'm back home now, but still dog-sitting until they get home on Sunday. As if having an 18-month old and a dog of our own wasn't enough, now we have another dog to care for. It's definitely been crazy around here, but it has made me realize that our dog is very well behaved.

Even more important though, this past Tuesday marked a huge day in my sweet Charley's life. It was her first day at daycare. It was only for the one day, but I was definitely anxious about her reaction to being left all day with someone who wasn't me. She was with a babysitter on Monday and I think it helped with the separation on Tuesday. It was wonderful that she was able to be babysat by a friend of mine who Charley knows and who also works at the daycare. I think I was more tense about the situation than I needed to be, but I'm glad that it's over and she did fantastic!

I did realize though that I don't want to find a job. I like staying home with my princess and feel blessed to have that opportunity.

My Funny Honey Bunny

So... This is sort of a continuation of the last post because I just had to write about what little Miss Charley did today. She came around the corner from the bedrooms and I saw her trailing something. I thought it was a shirt or blanket, so I turned around to grab my cup of coffee and when I turned back... I realized it was toilet paper!!! She had grabbed the end of the roll from the bathroom and dragged it down the hall and into the living room. Luckily I caught her before she could run too far, but I still had to roll the stupid trail of TP back onto the roll.

Oh, the funny things children do.

Here are a few other moments.

This is her evil-eye glare. She tilts her head down and looks at you through the edge of her bangs. It's like she's trying to threaten you.

And this made me laugh all day long. I got her jammies off and was trying to get her dressed, when she took off running around the house and giggling. Then she put on my shoes and was walking around with this little ensemble on.

Even when she does something wrong, I can't stay mad.

Laughter is the best medicine. And there is plenty of it around here.

The Best Moments

I love being a stay-at-home mom! Charley does so many things during the day that just make my day. If I were working and she went to daycare every day, these things wouldn't happen or I wouldn't see them. To miss them would be a disappointment as they usually turn my mood around and brighten the rest of the day. Let me show you what I mean.

On this day, she decided to get into the drawer that has the winter accesories in it. She loved putting on MY hat and MY gloves.

She loves to help with the laundry and giggles non-stop when I bury her in the basket.

Sometimes, she thinks it's funny to cover her ears and hum when I'm talking to her.

Everyday, I laugh at something. It's never dull around this house and it's keeping me young. But mostly, it's keeping me alert and on my toes. :)

Sniffles and Itchy Eyes

The warmer air has affected the seasonal air molecules and my poor little girl is having a very hard time with allergies. It started yesterday morning with a runny nose and sniffles, but got worse in the afternoon with severely itchy eyes. She is so tired all the time. I can't believe she took a 3 hour nap yesterday. I feel so bad because there is nothing that I can do to fix it. I don't think there is any medication for children her age. She'll just have to be strong and sleep a lot to try to make it through the day. I'll ask her pediatrician if there is anything for her to take when she has her 18 month appointment later in April.

Spring is closer...

Well, the weather is getting warmer and I am starting to hear talk of gardening and planting. I was never one to play in the dirt and I have no idea about the timing for vegetables and flowers. Is it the right time to start tulips? How about green beans? When do you put pumpkin seeds in the ground? It seems like every flower and every vegetable has an optimal timeline and none of them is at the same time.

But, with the growing maternal/wife instincts going on inside of me, I feel the need to start a garden and a flower bed. I guess it is a sign of maturing and getting older. Now I must start researching every type of plant that I intend to grow. And this must be mixed with research of landscaping because I don't want to just throw some seeds at the soil and have them sprout up all over the place.

I must admit, this gardening thing is starting to sound intimidating. As if I don't have enough things on the list to get our house made-over, I feel the need to add the research of various flora and produce. Then there is the actual planting and don't forget the weeding and harvesting. Oh well! For the spring and summer, this looks to be my new, very time-consuming hobby. Oh wait, I have forgotten to mention all of the other hobbies that I have attempted over the last 5 years. I still like to pick them up every once and awhile, seeing as most of my "projects" are only half done. So if I think rationally, this gardening thing will be done after one season, if it even lasts that long. We'll see how my flowers and produce look after a few months.

Maybe I should just skip the frustration this is bound to bring...
I'll let you know what I decide.